Recommended Guidelines for Physical Activity and Athletics After Knee Arthroplasty

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is routinely performed in younger patients who desire to be active in fitness and recreational sports and enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. This chapter provides the most updated physical activity guidelines for adults from the American Heart Association. We performed an extensive literature review, and data are summarized from 21 studies that detailed recreational and sports activities patients participated in after TKA. This included types of activities, frequency of participation, and whether symptoms or limitations occurred for future patient counseling considerations. Details are provided for eight studies that used accelerometers to measure physical activity 6–12 months postoperatively, of which only three determined the percent of patients who achieved AHA recommended PA guidelines. Current recommendations for activities allowed after TKA from various orthopedic societies and a systematic review are included.